1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to mounting arrangements for the motors of vacuum cleaners and, more particularly, is concerned with a motor mounting arrangement and method for a vacuum cleaner which employs no loose parts and stationarily secures the motor within a housing of the vacuum cleaner.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Most upright vacuum cleaners have a motor mounting arrangement in a base compartment. Many of these vacuum cleaners utilize a securing means to hold the motor in place within a housing. Most securing means require fasteners such as screws or bolts and other loose parts. A typical design mounts the motor to a chassis within a housing by connecting a cylindrical boss at each end of the motor to a pair of semi-cylindrical saddles sized to cooperate with the pair of bosses. The pair of saddles are generally formed in the housing and a pair of semi-cylindrical caps are secured by screws or bolts to the saddles to form a cylindrical bearing surface for each boss. A problem with this typical design, however, is that the fasteners and other loose parts increase the complexity and time required for securing the motor within the housing.
A variety of mounting arrangements have therefore been developed over the years to address the problems associated with installing motors within vacuum cleaner housings. Representative examples of these mounting arrangements are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,300,938 to Lang et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2,987,241 to Lindsjo et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,093,956 to Saunders et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,279,018 to Glenn, III. The Lang patent discloses an elastomeric ring, a semi-circular clamp and screws for mounting a motor within a vacuum cleaner housing. The Lindsjo patent discloses an elastomeric suspension member and sheet metal straps for securing a motor within a housing. The Saunders patent discloses a housing which snaps together to secure a motor having a bearing ring supported by a semi-circular mount formed in the base of the housing with a lock ring which snaps-fit onto the semi-circular mount and bearing ring. The Glenn, III patent discloses a housing having a pair of semi-circular motor supports formed therein and a semi-circular clamp having a pair of outwardly extending flanges to be fastened to one of the motor supports by screws and a locking ring for attachment to the other motor support.
While each of the mounting arrangements disclosed by the above mentioned patents attempts to improve upon the prior methods for securing motors within vacuum cleaners, one or more of the above mentioned problems exists in each of the disclosed patents. The mounting arrangement either has many parts which fail to reduce the complexity and time required for installation of the motor or fails to effectively limit lateral or axial displacement of the motor within the vacuum cleaner housing.
Consequently, a need still exists for an improved mounting arrangement for securing a motor within a vacuum cleaner which will overcome the aforementioned problems.